Alice Gorton Hart was born September 2, 1932 in Cleveland, Ohio, daughter of Douglas and Eunice Gorton. She earned an A.B. from Smith College in 1954, majoring in English. At Smith in the early 1950s Alice fulfilled her intellectual promise and was also involved in the typical contemporary social whirl.

She put aside her dreams of graduate school when she met George Hart, whom she married in September 1954. They had two sons, David and Andrew. George Hart's career in forestry took them to Michigan, West Virginia, New Hampshire and finally Logan, Utah. There Alice received an M.A in English from Utah State University in 1970. She taught part time in the English department for many years. She was also a technical writer for various academic publications. During this period she grew as a sensitive poet, artist, and writer. In January 1987 she was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and died six months later on June 2, 1987.